Portable ironing board



July 15, 1952 J. E. GEDDEs ETAL PORTABLE: IRONING BOARD Filed Sept. 16, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l mww J.E.GEDDES ETAL PORTABLE IRONING BOARD July l5, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Sept. 16, 1949 HVVENTDR. James E'. Geddes BYDaroth M. Cada/es /41-r'HE//s Patented `uly a15, 1952 PORTABLE IRONING EGARD James E. Geddes and Dorothy M. Geddes,

Portland, Oreg.

Application September 16, 1949, Serial No. 116,086

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to a collapsible ironing board and carrying case therefor, the principal object of the invention being to provide an article of the character in question which may be conveniently carried about, stowed in small spaces or transported in suitcases or the like.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide travelers with an ironing board approaching the size of standard ironing boards in order that large articles of wearing apparel may be pressed thereon. While this object of the invention is of primary importance, it is to be appreciated that the invention is of utility and attractiveness to permanent hotel, apartment or trailer dwellers who are normally inconvenienced by the standard type of ironing board.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an article of the character described which presents no sharp protruding portions which might tear or damage clothing among which it may be packed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sturdy, collapsible ironing board which is projected above the base support therefor when in use so as to permit the insertion of portions of the ironing board into articles of wearing apparel.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an article of the character described which is of sturdy construction throughout while being formed of a minimum number of parts composed of light materials of minimum weight.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily ascertained from inspection of the following specication taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, while the features of novelty will be more distinctly pointed out in the appended claims.

Inthe drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the ironing board when in use, showing the case therefor serving as a base;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially along line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through the collapsed carrying case substantially along line 4--4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. '7 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 'l-'I of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a partial side view of a portion of a modified form of carrying case and associated member;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 9--9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a vertical section through a portion of a modified form of carrying case; and

Fig. 11 is a vertical section through a portion of a modified form of ironing board. Y

Referring to Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, the inven tion comprises a collapsible carrying case infcluding two carrying case Asections I0 and VII which are substantially identical and include base plate portions I2 each vsurrounded by a peripheral flange 3 I. The sections are preferably in the shape of elongated rectangles and are joined in end-to-end relation by hinge means I4 at the upper edges of the adjacent portions of the flanges I3 so that the carrying case sections may be folded together to provide a complete carrying case as seen-in Fig. 4, or spread apart to lie in the same plane upon a supporting structure to provide a base for the ironing board as seen in Fig. 1. Preferablythe section I0 is provided with a catch I5 at its free end and the section II is provided with a spring latch I6y for cooperative engagement therewith to hold the case in closed position. Preferably either or both of the carrying case sections is provided with handle means I1 which are desirably formed of flexible material such as cordage.

Associated with the carrying case is a collapsible ironing board including a pair of sections I8 and I9, one of which is preferably tapered toward its free end so as to provide for entry into restricted garments. The sections I 8 and I9 are hinged together in end-to-end relation by second hinge means 20 which are maintained` longitudinal dimensions than the lateral and.

longitudinal dimensions of the carrying case sec.- tions so that the ironing board may be Vfolded and disposed within the collapsed case.

direction as the carrying case or to be extended to lie in a common plane and provide the com-,;

plete ironing board. 4

Each of the ironing board sections is movably The. hinge means 20' is so arranged as to permit the ironing board to be folded together in the same 3 attached to one of the carrying case sections by collapsible leg means including a rst U-shaped rod 2| and a second U-shaped rod 22. 'Each ironing board section is preferably formed. of a sheet of metal such as aluminum alloy, or stainless steel, and the U-shaped member 2| is pivotally connected thereto near the hinged end thereof as by means of tongues 23 stamped from the sheet and bent downwardly from the plane of the board, then upwardly around the bight portion of the U-shaped member as seen in Fig. 5. The U-shaped member 22 is preferably smaller in width across the bight thereof than the U- shaped member 2| so that the pair of U-shaped members may be disposed with one straddling the other in reversed relation thereto so that the leg means may be collapsed into a common plane, or substantially so, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, or extended in crossed relation to each other angularly to the planes of the board and base as seen in Fig. l. The free ends of the U-shaped memb ers 22 are bent laterally to provide feet 26 Vwhich are pivotally attached to the associatedl base plate as by means of U-straps 25 spot welded to the base plate. The free ends of the U-shaped members 2| are likewise bent laterally to provide feet 26 which are pivotally and slidably attached to the corresponding base plate through the medium of guiding means including straps 21 which are spotl welded to the base plate at their ends. As seen most clearly in Fig. 3, the members 22 are pivotally attached across their bight portions adjacent the outer ends of the ironing board section and have their free ends pivotally attached to the carrying case sections adjacent their hinged, inner ends and the members 2| are pivotally attached across their bight portions to the ironing board sections adjacent the second pivot means 20 and are pivotally and slidably attached to the corresponding carrying case sections adiacent their free or outer ends, the direction of sliding movement of the feet thereof being toward and away from the hinge means of the carrying case. Preferably each of said U-shaped members comprises a rod having sufficient resiliency to permit springing of the ends thereof toward each other so that the feet thereof may be drawn together to permit their insertion into the retaining means therefor, the resiliency of the rod causing the feet to snap outwardly and retain the leg means in position.

The guiding means including the strap 21 preferably comprises an upper horizontal portion extending parallel to the base plate and upon which a leaf spring 30, extending longitudinally thereof, is retained by means such as rivet 3|. The leafspring extends beyond the inner end of the strap andan intermediate portion thereof supports a catch32 adapted to snap behind the foot 26 when the legs have been extended to the maximum extent so as to retain the central portion of the. ironing board in the. desired plane. The catch 32. projects downwardly beneath the horizontal portion of the strap 21 through a slot 33 and is preferably provided with an outwardly facing cam surface so that the feet 26 will raise the catches as the portion of the ironing board adjacent hinge 20 is raised with respect to the hinge I4. The opposite face of the catch 32 is vertical so as to lock the feet 26 in position until theV extending ends of the springs are manually` raised. When the carrying case is opened it will be evident that the legs 22 will assume positions of various angularity with respect tothe base, and the ironing board sections, I8; and' I9 may assume various angular relations to each other, but upon grasping the ironing board sections adjacent the hinge 20 and raising the same to the desired plane the legs will be forced to assume the crossed, supporting relationship illustrated in Fig. l. A stable structure which may be lifted about is thereby provided.

Each of the ironing board sections preferably comprises a thin sheet of metal such as aluminum alloy having its edges bent back to provide a peripheral bead 35, as seen in Fig. 6, and each of the carrying case sections preferably comprises a stamped member of thin sheet metal such as aluminum alloy having its peripheral edge bent back to provide a bead 36. However, it is to be appreciated that other materials may be substituted therefor. When utilizing sheet metal each of the ironing board sections is preferably provided with a plurality of downwardly punched openings 3! through the body thereof which not only provide ventilation but increase the rigidity of the board. The openings provided by stamping out the tongues 23 likewise provide ventilating means for the board. The hinge means 26, particularly when employing thin sheet metal, may provide an objectionable transverse ridge across the ironing board, and the openings therethrough would likewise be objectionable, but the case provides room for the transportation of an ironing board pad as illustrated at Fig. 4 which serves to cover these irregularities, and functions in the usual manner.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, a, carrying case formed of sheet metal including base plates having flanges 46 thereon is stamped to provide means for attachment of the leg members. As seen in Fig. 8, one of the pairs of legs providing support for each ironing board section includes leg portions 41 having laterally bent feet 48, the ends of which are reduced to pass through guiding slots 49 extending longitudially of the flanges 46, the ends of the reduced portions being peened over as indicated at 56 to retain the legs in position. One end of the slot 49 is provided with a downwardly extending notch 5| into which the reduced portion of the foot drops when the legs reach the limit of `angular extension as indicated in dash outline in Fig. 8. The ironing board supported thereby is thus held parallel to the base until the feet are released from the notches 5|. Likewise, instead of attaching the feet of the other legs 52 to the carrying case by means of attached straps, the feet may be pivotally retained by means of tongues 53 struck inwardly from the base plate 45 as seen in Fig. 10.

In Fig. 11 a modified form of ironing board is illustrated in which the ironing board comprises sections 55 and 56 joined in end-to-end relation by hinge means 5l suitably retained as by means of rivets 58, and, likewise. the bight portions 59 of each of the leg portions may be pivotally retained by straps 60 suitably mounted on the board by means such as. rivets 6|. The board sections 55 and 56 may be formed of any suitable material such as ber hardboard.

Our invention permits of the fabrication of a combined carrying case and ironing board of somewhat near the standard size, having a total weight in the range of two to three pounds.` For example, an ironing board thirty-seven inches in length and having a width of nine and one-half inches may be mounted in a case ten and` onehalf inches by twenty-one inches in size and having a total collapsed thickness of two andl onehalf inches. The collapsed case may be stowed in any convenient corner, restricted space, or suitcase, trunk or the like, and may be quickly placed in use upon any fiat supporting surface. The case is opened and laid on .the supporting surface without any manipulation of the ironing board being required. Thereafter, the hinge portion of the ironing board is raised to a, position vertically above and parallel to the hinge portion of the carrying case, whereupon the` .slidably mounted feet are latched in supporting position. In order to collapse the construction it is asimple matter to release the catches for the feet andl the ironing board and leg means .will automatically collapse into the case when the two sec-v tions of the case are folded together. The case, in spite o1' its relative thinness, affords sufficient room for the enclosure of a suitable ironing board pad of standard thickness and the usual fabric cover thereof.

Having illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention permits of modification in arrangement and detail. We claim as our invention all such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope ofthe appended claims.

We claim:

1. A collapsible ironing board and carrying case therefor comprising a pair of similar carrying case sections each comprising a base plate and side flanges, first hinge means joining said carrying case sections in end-to-end relation so that said carrying case sections may be folded together to form a complete carrying case or swung apart to lie in Aa common plane and provide a base for the ironing board when in use, a pair of ironing board sections receivable in said sections, second hinge means joining said ironing board sections in end-to-end relation so that said ironing board sections my be folded together or swung apart to liein a common plane, each of said ironing board sections being arranged above and parallel to the base plate of one of said carrying case sections and said first hinge means being parallel to said second hinge means, a plurality of legs hingedly connected at one end to each of said ironing board sections, and means hingedly connecting the opposite ends of the legs attached to each of said ironing board sections to the adjacent carrying case section, said means attaching said legs to said carrying case sections including means for slidably guiding the ends of some of said legs for movement normal to said first hinge means whereby the ends of the legs attached to each ironing board section may be spread apart to permit collapse of said ironing board 'and legs into said carrying case or brought together to project said ironing board above and parallel to said carrying case sections when serving as a base.

2. A collapsible ironing board and carrying case therefor comprising a pair of base plates each having a peripheral flange, first hinge means joining said base plates together in endto-end relation along the upper edges of said flanges whereby said base plates may be swung apart to lie in a common plane or swung together to provide the walls of a carrying case, a, pair of ironing board sections of smaller area than said base plates, each disposed above and parallel to one of said base plates, second hinge means joining said ironing board sections in end-to-end relation whereby said ironing board sections may be swung together in the same direction as said carrying case sections or spread apart to lie in a.

common plane, a first pair of legs hingedly connected to the outer end of one of said ironing board sections and to the inner end of one of said carrying case sections, a second pair of legs hingedly connected to the inner end of said one ironing board section and the outer end of said one carrying case section, a third pair of legs hingedly connected to the outer end of the other ironing board section and the inner end of the other carrying case section, a fourth pair of legs hingedly connected to the inner end of said other ironing board section and the outer end of said other carrying lcase section, means on one of said sections slidably guiding the connected ends of one pair of said first land second pairs of legs longitudinally towardand away from the corresponding ends of the other pair thereof, and means on another of said sections slidably guiding the connected ends of one pair of said third and fourth pairs oflegs longitudinally toward and away from the corresponding ends of the other pair thereof.

3. A collapsible ironing board and carrying case therefor comprising a pair of carrying case sections each including a peripheral flange, first hinge means joining said carrying case sections together in end-to-end relation along the upper edges of portions of said flanges whereby said carrying case sections may be folded together to provide a carrying case or swung apart to lie in end-to-end relation upon a supporting surface, a pair of ironing board sections receivable in said carrying case sections and each being disposed above and parallel to one of said carrying case sections, second hinge means joining said ironing board sections in end-to-end relation where-- by said ironing board sections may be folded together or swung apart to lie in a common plane, each of said ironing board sections being of smaller lateral and longitudinal dimensions than the lateral and longitudinal dimensions of said carrying case sections whereby said ironing board sections may be contained in folded relation within said carrying case, rst collapsible leg means connecting one of said ironing board sections to one of said carrying case sections, second collapsible leg means connecting the other of said ironing board sections to the other of said carrying case sections, said leg means being arranged to hold said ironing board sections in such relation to said carrying case sections that said first and second hinge remain constantly parallel to each other, and means for holding said legs in extended angular relation with respect to said carrying case sections when swung apart whereby said ironing board sections may be held in a common plane in projected relation with respect to said carrying case sections when swung apart.

4. A collapsible ironing board and carrying case therefor comprising a pair of base plates each having a peripheral flange, first hinge means joining said base plates together in endto-end relation along the upper edges of adjacent portions of said flanges whereby said base plates may be swung apart to lie in a lcommon plane or folded together to provide the walls of a carrying case, a pair of ironing board sections each receivable in one of said carrying case sections and maintained above and parallel to the base plate thereof, second hinge means joining said ironing board sections together in end-toend relation whereby said ironing board sections may be folded together in the same direction as said carrying case sections or spread apart to lie aeoaoia in a common plane, and collapsible leg means hingedly connectingsaid ironing board sections to said carrying casesections within the, flanges thereof whereby said ironing board and leg means may be collapsed Within said carrying, case, said leg means being arranged to maintain said second hinge means in spaced parallel relation to said first hinge means, and` said leg means comprising the following parts connecting each one of said ironing board sections' to an adjacent one of said. carrying case sections: a ilrst U-shaped rod hingedly connected across the bight thereof to said ironing board section toward said second hinge means and havingl its ends connected to said carrying case section toward the free end thereof, means hingedly and slidably guiding said` ends along said -carrying case section toward and away from saidirst hinge means, and a second U-shaped rod hingedly connected across the bight, thereof to said ironing board section toward the free end thereof and having its ends hingedly connected'to said carrying case section toward said first hinge means.

5. A collapsible ironing board and carrying case therefor comprising a pair of base plates each having a peripheral iiange, first hinge means joining said base plates together in endto-end relation along the upper edges of adjacent portions of said flanges whereby said base plates may be swung apart to lie in a common plane or folded together to provide the walls of a carrying case, a pair of ironing board sections each receivable in one of said carrying case sections and maintained above and in parallel relation to the base plate thereof, second hinge means :u

joining Said ironing board sections together in end-to-end relation whereby said ironing board sections may be folded together in the same direction as said carrying case sections or spread apart to lie in a common plane, and collapsible leg means hingedly connecting said ironing board sections to said carrying case sections within the anges thereof whereby said ironing board and leg means may be collapsed within said carrying case, said leg means being arranged to maintain said second hinge means in spaced parallel relation to said first hinge means, andsaid leg means comprising the following parts connecting each one of said ironing board sections to an adjacent one of said carrying case sections: a firstv U-Shaped rod hingedly connected across the bight thereof to said ironing board section toward said sec-ond hinge means and havingv its ends connected to said carrying case section toward the free end thereof, means hingedly and slidably guiding said ends along said carrying case section toward and away from said first hinge means, and a second U-shaped rod hingedly connected across the bight thereof to said ironing boardv section toward-the freel end thereof and having its ends hingedly connected to said carrying case section toward saidgfirst hinge means, said first U-shaped rod straddling said.

second U-shaped rod in the reverse direction whereby said rods may be collapsed into a common plane closely adjacent the inner surface of said'carrying case section or extended angularly therefrom in crossed relation to each other.

6. A collapsible ironing board and carrying case therefor comprising a pair of base plates each having a peripheral flange, first hinge means joining said base plates together in endto-end relation alongy the `upper edges of adjacent portions of said flanges whereby said base plates may be swung apart to lie in a common plane or folded together to provide the walls of a carrying case, a pair of ironing board sections each receivable in one of said carrying case sections and maintainedv above and in parallel Arelation toy the base plate thereof,V second hinge means joining said ironing board sections together in end-to-end relation whereby said ironing board sections may be folded together in the same direction as said carrying case sections or spreadapart to lie in a common plane, and collapsible leg means hingedly connecting said ironing board sections to said carrying case sections within the flanges thereof whereby said ironing board and leg means may be collapsed within said carrying case, said leg means being arranged to maintain said second hingeV means in spaced parallel relation to said first hinge means, and said leg means comprising the following parts connecting each one of said ironing board sections to an adjacent one of said carrying case sections: aiirst U-shaped rod hingedly connected across the bight thereof to said ironing board section toward said second hinge means and having its ends connected to said carrying case section toward thevfree end thereof, means hingedly and slidably guiding said ends along said carrying case sectiontoward and away from said first hinge means. a secondA U-shaped rod hingedly connected across the bight thereof to said'ironing board section toward the free end thereof and having its ends hingedly connected to said carrying case section toward said first hinge means, and means for releasably retaining the ends of saidrst U-shaped rod at the end of said guiding means toward saidrst hinge means whereby said ironing board section may be held in projected .relation to said carrying case section. Y

JAMES E, GEDDES. DOROTHY M. GEDDES.

REFERENCES. CITED The following referencesare of4 record in the iile'ofY this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Morgan July 25, 1950 

